I am walking on the completely deserted trail this morning in a heavy mist. The ice which came with a polar blast and temperatures as low as 11 degrees is melting.
The leafless tall trees reveal squirrels' nest and great clumps of mistletoe in their branches. The holly trees are full of beautiful fat blood red berries.
Beside the trail lies a small animal with large pointy ears. A small tan dog with large solemn brown eyes, tiny long toes and claws, formed perfectly and now frozen perfectly in death.
The man who was lost overnight on the Pinnacle Trail of Table Rock State Park has walked out of the woods.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Sunday, January 4, 2015
January 1, 2015 Table Rock Mountain High
Beautiful weather on this first day of the year. It has become a habit to fortify myself with a coffee roll from Dunkin Donuts on the way up to the mountains. Boofa makes not a sound in the back of the Jeep.
I came to Table Rock last year in Winter and went on Carrick Creek Trail when the creek was rushing and overflowing from heavy winter rains. Today it is gurgling along happily. A few people are taking their pictures where it runs down over a rocky spill. Today I am going to take the challenge of the Table Rock Trail, 3.4 miles up up up a series of stone steps as tall as my knees.
At first, I meet almost no one. At the .5 mile marker, I hear a voice behind me saying: "Only a half mile? I thought it was at least 2." I agree. It is a very strenuous hike. I don't hear that voice again. I think they turned back.
Soon, I have to take off my sweater and tie it around my waist. A man in a blue jacket comes along and tells me that this is his 15th hike up the mountain. "I began when I was forty and now I am sixty.". He disappears above me, appearing now and then as he rounds a curve.
Again I have to stop to get a rock out of my shoe. I find it is not a rock; it is a blister on my heel. A middle aged man comes hiking with two ski poles. He tells me that he climbs the mountain every year on the first day of January to challenge himself. He tells me the blister will be better when I am going down hill as my boot will slide forward. His daughter has turned back already today with new boots and blisters.
I keep moving up until I am at the 2 mile point and regretfully turn back. I meet two young boys scampering up the rocks. Their father tells me that there is a shelter just beyond where I turned back. They move on up and up..
I step off the path to allow a large joyful man to pass me. He is actually jumping down the mountain from one rock to another. Later another hiker tells me that this man told me he had run up the entire mountain. I am amazed.
I have a snack of water and raisins and descend the trail. Maybe next time.
Driving home on Highway 11, I pass Old Highway 11 and shortly thereafter Old Old Highway 11. One day perhaps the road I am on will be Old Old Old Hwy. 11.
Here is my recipe for Black Eyed Peas and Yellow Crooked Neck Squash, a dish for New Years' Day so that you will have coins in your pocket during the coming year:
Rinse dried peas and put in a pot with plenty of water and bring to a boil. If you do this in the morning and just let them soak, they will be ready by supper time. Or you can let them simmer about an hour and they will be ready.
Saute an onion and three or four chopped squash, 4 cloves of garlic in oil in an iron frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons of masala seasoning and 5 teaspoons of sugar. Add a 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes
and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a while. Serve over plenty of rice. Also good with nan. It is especially good if you have just tried to climb Table Rock.
Happy New Year.
I came to Table Rock last year in Winter and went on Carrick Creek Trail when the creek was rushing and overflowing from heavy winter rains. Today it is gurgling along happily. A few people are taking their pictures where it runs down over a rocky spill. Today I am going to take the challenge of the Table Rock Trail, 3.4 miles up up up a series of stone steps as tall as my knees.
At first, I meet almost no one. At the .5 mile marker, I hear a voice behind me saying: "Only a half mile? I thought it was at least 2." I agree. It is a very strenuous hike. I don't hear that voice again. I think they turned back.
Soon, I have to take off my sweater and tie it around my waist. A man in a blue jacket comes along and tells me that this is his 15th hike up the mountain. "I began when I was forty and now I am sixty.". He disappears above me, appearing now and then as he rounds a curve.
Again I have to stop to get a rock out of my shoe. I find it is not a rock; it is a blister on my heel. A middle aged man comes hiking with two ski poles. He tells me that he climbs the mountain every year on the first day of January to challenge himself. He tells me the blister will be better when I am going down hill as my boot will slide forward. His daughter has turned back already today with new boots and blisters.
I keep moving up until I am at the 2 mile point and regretfully turn back. I meet two young boys scampering up the rocks. Their father tells me that there is a shelter just beyond where I turned back. They move on up and up..
I step off the path to allow a large joyful man to pass me. He is actually jumping down the mountain from one rock to another. Later another hiker tells me that this man told me he had run up the entire mountain. I am amazed.
I have a snack of water and raisins and descend the trail. Maybe next time.
Driving home on Highway 11, I pass Old Highway 11 and shortly thereafter Old Old Highway 11. One day perhaps the road I am on will be Old Old Old Hwy. 11.
Here is my recipe for Black Eyed Peas and Yellow Crooked Neck Squash, a dish for New Years' Day so that you will have coins in your pocket during the coming year:
Rinse dried peas and put in a pot with plenty of water and bring to a boil. If you do this in the morning and just let them soak, they will be ready by supper time. Or you can let them simmer about an hour and they will be ready.
Saute an onion and three or four chopped squash, 4 cloves of garlic in oil in an iron frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons of masala seasoning and 5 teaspoons of sugar. Add a 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes
and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a while. Serve over plenty of rice. Also good with nan. It is especially good if you have just tried to climb Table Rock.
Happy New Year.
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